The present invention relates generally to the field of treating pneumatic vessels such as pneumatic tires, and more particularly, is directed to an apparatus and method for applying a treatment liquid, such as a sealing compound, into a vessel, such as a tire, without first deflating the vessel.
Prior workers in the art have developed methods and apparatus for introducing a sealing compound into a tire for sealing puncture leaks in pneumatic tires. In one type of known operation, a tire sealant compound is packaged under pressure in a portable aerosol container for direct use by a motorist under emergency conditions. One such aerosol container is presently being distributed by Nationwide Industries, Huntingdon Valley, Pa., under the trademark "Fix-A-Flat". In this device, the nozzle of the aerosol container is designed to be threadedly engaged on the tire valve, the valve core is automatically opened, and then the container contents are introduced into the interior of the tire. As above set forth, this is usually employed for emergency conditions wherein the tire had been completely deflated due to a puncture or other exterior cause. The aerosol container contains enough pressurized gas to inflate the tire sufficiently to allow the motorist to drive to the nearest service station. Sufficient sealing compound is present in the container and is injected into the tire through the tire valve with the pressurized gas to temporarily seal the puncture, until such time as a skilled mechanic can make proper, permanent repairs.
In another system designed to introduce a liquid interiorly of a penumatic vessel, which system has been previously employed by the assignee of the present invention under the trademark "STOP-A-FLAT", it is the practice to introduce a sealing compound interiorly of the pneumatic tire prior to an actual puncture or other emergency condition. By introducing such a sealing compound, a tire can be rendered substantially puncture proof throughout the entire effective life of the tire itself. When utilizing such a prior art system for applying the sealing compound interiorly of the pneumatic tire, it previously was necessary to first remove the valve core from the tire valve and then deflate the tire entirely. Once the tire pressure had been reduced to atmospheric pressure, then a suitable sealing liquid could be pumped through the unobstructed tire valve stem into the interior of the tire wherein the sealing compound remained for puncture sealing purposes. After introduction of the sealing compound, the valve core was then reinstalled and the tire was reinflated, in the conventional manner.
While the prior art systems have generally performed satisfactorily for tire sealing purposes, the systems were somewhat expensive in use inasmuch as considerable time and effort was required to place the proper amount of sealing compound within each tire. The additional operations necessiated by deflating the tires including such steps as elevating the vehicle by means of a lift or jack, waiting the required time for the tires to deflate and the required time to reinflate the tires after introduction of the sealing compound are directly attributable to the increased costs. The present invention seeks to overcome these time consuming operations by providing a system capable of operation under pressurized conditions, thereby eliminating all of the previous time consuming steps involved with deflation and inflation of the tires.